Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday, Waupaca city was honored with the presence of
surviving members of the gallant old 14th Wis. Vet. Vol. Inf., in
their fourth annual reunion, to the number of about 110.They come from various parts of the state
and Iowa; Indiana, Minnesota and Dakota were represented.Most every state in the northwest has
members of the old 14gh within their borders but all could not be present.

Headquarters
were established at Woodnorth’s building south of the Vosburg House, and the
old brass field gun which the 14th captured from the Rebels on the
famous April 7, 1862, was hauled up in front of the building, it having been
tendered the regiment by the state authorities at Madison, in whose care and
keeping the gun is reposed.

There
is a bit of interesting history connected with this old gun, of special interest
to Wisconsin.The gun is an ordinary
brass field piece and constituted part of a rebel battery that did its work of
destruction in a number of battles and ended its career for the Confederacy at
the terrible battle of Pittsburg Landing, April 7, 1862.The sun rose bright and clear on that
morning and looked calmly down upon the scene of the previous day’s engagement,
as if, in obedience to an unheard command, pouring out a requiem for slain and
casting a parting blessing upon the thousands of brave men upon whom it would
rise no more, and whose life blood was to be shed on that day in the cause of
justice, right and liberty.

The
battery occupied a commanding position.The battle opened about 9 o’clock in the morning, the Confederate forces
making the assault and meeting with a sharp repulse, but the battery was well
manned and mowed great swaths through the columns of brave Union troops.The Fourteenth Wisconsin regiment,
temporarily attached to Smith’s brigade, Gen. Crittenden’s division of Gen. Buell’s
command, occupied a position on the right of the brigade and held the main road
leading from Pittsburg Landing to Corinth. Gen Grant ordered Col. Smith to take
the battery.Col. Smith ordered the
Twenty-sixth Kentucky to capture it.The regiment made a gallant charge and were repulsed with terrible
slaughter in their ranks.Gen. Grant
and staff had ridden up in the rear of the Fourteenth Wisconsin and witnessed
the charge.Turning to Gen. Buell and
pointing with his sword to the Fourteenth, he said:“General, that regiment can take that battery.”

The
charge was made, the horses killed and Lieutenant Staley spiked this gun, but
reinforcements not being brought to the support of the regiment they were
driven back with a loss of eighty-five men killed and disabled, Colonel Wood
and Lieutenant Colonel Messmore were both disabled and carried from the
field.Major Hancock took command of
the regiment, rallied its broken lines, made a second charge, capturing the
battery, driving a strong infantry force of Texas troops who were supporting it
from the field up the road towards Shiloh church, and captured many prisoners.

The
Fourteenth were then ordered to hold the field, guard the road, and see that
the enemy did not recapture the battery.The enemy made but one more attempt to retake it.This was at about 2 o’clock in the
afternoon.The attack was met by the
Fourteenth and the enemy promptly repulsed.

After
the battle Gen. Halleck sent a member of his staff to learn what regiment had
captured the battery, and the result was the presentation of this gun to the
Fourteenth Wisconsin in recognition of its valor in capturing the battery.The regiment afterward presented it to the
State, whose property it now is.

Years
after the war when Gen. Grant visited the West and was coming up the
Mississippi to his old home at Galena, a delegation from LaCrosse went down the
river to escort him up.While coming up
the river the conversation drifted to the battle of Pittsburg Landing, and Gen.
Washburn mentioned the capture of this gun, which was then at Madison.Gen. Grant remembered the incident
distinctly and highly complimented the work of the regiment on that
occasion.He said:“I personally witnessed the charge, and
noted it carefully, for I felt when I made the suggestion that the regiment
could capture the battery that they were just the men to do it.It was a most gallant charge, and was the
hottest place in the line of battle that day.”

By
Tuesday noon the town was fairly well decorated with red, white and blue and
National flags were flying from many public and private buildings.It was a touching sight to see the meetings
of the old comrades as the trains brought in new reinforcements.In some cases the greetings were
supplemented with a little beer, but among the members of the old Fourteenth
the best of decorum and gentlemanly bearing was noticeable throughout the
reunion.The veterans all went in a
body to the afternoon train followed by their “rebel pet,” the above mentioned
cannon, to meet Capt. Magdeburg, wife and daughter and other members of the
Reg’t.Capt. Magdeburg owns big milling
interests in Milwaukee, whichhe
conducts with as much enthusiasm and interest as he commanded Company G on the
famous march from Atlanta to the Sea, with Gen. Sherman.He is president of the Regiment Association
and his Grace(ful) seventeen year-old daughter was voted the “Daughter of the
regiment” at the reunion in DePere, last summer.

WEDNESDAYMORNING.

The
Regiment Association held their business meeting at which time the following
officers were elected for the ensuing year:

President
– Capt. Magdeburg, Milwaukee

1st Vice-President – Capt. M. A. Watson,
LaCrosse.

2nd
Vice-President – Capt. C. R. Johnson, Black River Falls.

3rd Vice-President – W. H. Tucker,
Indianapolis, Ind.

Secretary – R. A. Spink, Oshkosh

Treasurer
– H. W. Durand, Fond du Lac.

After
taking up a collection of about twenty dollars to make up local expenses the
veterans held a grand parade headed by the Waupaca Brass Band and followed by
the cannon and casson drawn by four horses, each horse with a little boy rider
dressed in artilleryman’s uniform.After the parade they intended to go to visit the Veterans’ Home and
have a picnic dinner, but the weather looked so much like rain that they waited
in town for dinner, after which they went out in carriages and wagons to the
Home, accompanied by the Waupaca band who played some excellent pieces on the
balconies of dining hall and headquarters’ building, while the visitors
inspected the surroundings, which event, however, was marred somewhat by the
rain, but all were pleased with the appearance of things and were warmly
welcomed by the Home people.

In
the evening an entertainment was arranged at the Opera House.The band opened the exercises and were
loudly applauded.The Mayor being sick,
Senator J. H. Woodnorth gave a short but appropriate address of welcome which
was responded to by Capt. Magdeburg in which he said:“It is an honor to hold a reunion in a city that had sentso many brave soldiers to the front.There were perhaps just as good soldiers,
but there were not better men that went to war than Company B commanded by your
old townsman, the brave and gallant Major Worden.It is an honor to come to a city that has contributed so much
toward the State Veterans’ Home, an institution that affords shelter and relief
to many worthy and deserving old soldiers, their wives and widows of
soldiers.We have seen with our own
eyes the evidences of the worthiness of this grand Home.The speaker hoped that the 14th
might have the pleasure of some time holding another reunion here.

The
male quartet, Messrs. Oborn, Shearer, Fowlie and McAllaster, and Mrs. Sperry
gave several fine selections, Miss Belle Smith presided at the piano.Miss Smith’s little band of “shakers”
rendered a cut selection which was encored.

Comrade
Osborn of LaCrosse, gave a short talk in which he scored the “powers that be”
in Madison for keeping the regimental flags “boxed up” when they ought to be
opened out and placed so the present and future generations of Wisconsin people
could see them, and let them teach their lessons of patriotism.Every old war-tattered banner has a history
red with the blood of our soldiers who fought who save the Union.Mr. Osborn said:“All over the south they are raising monuments to perpetuate the
memory of some general who sought to destroy the Union.No other Nation under the sun would allow
it, and why do we have so few monuments?”The speaker said there was a good deal of sentiment about the blue and
the gray; one represents loyalty, the other treason and he had not been
educated up to that point yet, where he could put the gray on an quality with
the blue.

Comrade
Sergeant W. H. Tucker of Indianapolis, was called forward and read the
following resolutions:

RESOLVED.That it is the sense of the comrades of the
14th Wis. Vet. Vol. Inf. Thathearty vote of thanks be tendered the local committee for the hard work
done by them, which has made it possible for this Veteran Association to have a
grand, goodtime at this reunion,

AND
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That to the citizens of Waupaca we feel indebted for
the welcome shown us and for their loyalty displayed in their liberal
decorations shown throughout their pleasant and beautiful little city;That we will leave with the kindest
remembrances of this our first visit and trust that we may, at some time in the
future years be permitted to return again.

Very
respectfully submitted,

CAPT.
C. R. JOHNSON}

R.
O. OBSORN}Com.

W.
H. TUCKER}

The
resolutions were enthusiastically adopted.Then Mr. Tucker gave a brief history of the Reg’t.

The
regiment was organized at Fond du Lac, Wis., in the fall of 1861, under Col. D.
E. Wood.In Sibley tents that cold,
bleak winter was passed.The regiment
was well officered, and when ordered South in March, was well disciplined and
one of the finest regiments that left the state.They were ordered to St. Louis, and went into camp for a few days
at Benton Barracks.From this place
were ordered to report to Gen. Grant at Savannah.Grant was so well pleased with the regiment that he ordered the
Col. To disembark and go into camp.Nothing of any importance took place until the morning of Sunday, April
6, when all were awakened by the booming of cannon from the field of
Shiloh.The regiment was ordered that
night to take transport for Pittsburg Landing, arriving there at 8 p.m.Climbing up the high bluff overlooking the
river the boys passed the night amid the wreck of the straggling part of
Grant’s army.All was confusion, during
the entire night the scene was one long to be remembered.At early light the regiment was formed into
line and was addressed by Gen.Crittenden, then marched to the extreme front
line, when the regiment took part in the hotly contested fight of the 7th
forming the right of Buell’s army and the left of Grant’s, during this
engagement the regiment showed such coolness, that they were for the rest of
the war called the 14th regulars.The regiment here charged and captured the New Orleans battery of six
pieces.One gun was afterwards
presented to the regiment and now takes part in each reunion.At this battle, and from exposures,
afterwards, being encamped at Pittsburg Landing on the battlefield, the
regiment suffered heavy losses, disease creating sad havoc.The regiment took an active part in all of
the engagements in the southwest.

In
the fall of 1863, returned home on a veteran furlough and recruited their
ranks; soon returned and participated in many grand engagements and were
mustered out in Oct. 1865.The
following is the list of engagements participated in by the 14th:Shiloh, Iuka, Corinth, Vicksburg, Fort do
Rusey, Pleasant Hill Landing, Tupelo, Ezera Chapel, Old Town Creek, Fort
Blakely, Spanish Fort, Rivers Bridge, Cloutierville, Cane River, Marksville,
Yellow Bayou, Ackworth, Kenesaw Mountain, Nashville, Augusta, Camago Cross
Roads, Lovejoy’s Station, Jonesboro, Atlanta.

Sergeant
W. H. Tucker gives a compilation of losses as follows:

Total loss of recruits123

Loss
of original regiment628

No.
original regiment mustered out Oct.’ 65368

Of
this, received wounds117

Leaving
without injury252

Loss
of Field and Staff Officers by death and disability7

Sergeant
Tucker was a hotel boy in LaCrosse when he enlisted, now he is at the head of
the large manufacturing firm of Tucker & Dorsey, Indianapolis.He is the inventor of the famous patent
alarm money drawer in use all over the world.He takes great pride in meeting with his old regimental comrades, and is
interested in the Indiana Loyal Legion Vet. Association.

Capt.
Magdeburg closed the evening’s exercises by a truthful and well-written article
on the life and services of Gen. W. T. Sherman.The Capt. being a warm personal friend of Gen. Sherman during and
since the war felt that the reading of this paper was a duty he owed to his old
commander.

Thursday
morning the association met and the following preamble and resolutions were unanimously
adopted:

WHEREAS,
It has come to the notice of the society of the 14th Wis. Vet. Vol.
Inf. In reunion in Waupaca, June 16, 17, and 18, 1891, that a governor of this
state issued an executive order prohibiting the use at regimental reunions of the
flags carried during the rebellion by said regiments.Therefore be it

RESOLVED,
That the governor of this state be and he is hereby earnestly requested to
rescind said order and hereafter permit such things to be brought to regimental
reunions.And be it further

RESOLVED,
That it is the sense of this society in case of refusal on the part of the
governor of this state to accede to the above request that the legislature of
state shall be asked by the president of this society to pass a joint resolution
directing the executives of this state hereafter to furnish the flags referred
to for the uses and purposes herein named.Be it further

RESOLVED,
That the secretary of this society furnish a copy of these resolutions to all
known regimental organizations with a request that they take action
thereon.Be it further

RESOLVED,
That a copy of these resolutions be furnished each G.A.R. Post, each Sons of
Veterans Camp and Woman’s Relief Corps in this state, with a view to action
being taken thereon.

RESOLVED,
That a copy of these resolutions be furnished to one comrade of each company
whose duty it shall be to have these resolutions published in one or more
papers at his place of residence with a view to create public sentiment in
favor thereof.

The
meeting closed with a vote to hold the fifth annual reunion at Omro next year.